Cover or lid latch



Patented June 1, 1954 UNITED STATES TNT OFFICE COVER R LID LATCH Application March 12, 1949, Serial No. 81,166

6 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in a spring latch for a hingedly mounted cover or lid such as used, for example, on minnow buckets.

The use of hinged lids or covers on buckets, such as minnow buckets, and other types of containers and which lids and covers have spring latches for releasably locking the lids or covers in closed position is old and well known. In the past, the said latches were awkward to manipulate and handle requiring the holding of the bucket or container while the spring latch was being released. By the present invention these difficulties are eliminated thereby resulting in a better minnow bucket than was heretofore known or used.

It is, therefore, the principal object of the present invention to provide a latch or a hingedly mounted lid or cover that can be released with the least amount of difficulty.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a latch for a hinged lid or cover that can be released without the necessity of holding the bucket or container during the releasing of the latch whereupon the lid or cover may be actuated about its hinged connection.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a latch for a hinged lid or cover that can be released with one hand and used While in the hand as a means for actuating the cover or lid about its hinge.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of a latch that will accomplish the foregoing objects that is extremely simple in construction, economical to produce and readily operable.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention should be readily apparent by reference to the following specification considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof and it is to be understood that any modifications may be made in the exact structural details there shown and described, Within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from or exceeding the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a minnow bucket or container embodying the latch of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the minnow bucket of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view through the upper end of the bucket as seen from line 33 on Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of the bucket showing certain of the parts of Fig. 3 in a second operative position.

Fig. 5 is a perspective View of the latch, per se, of the present invention.

Throughout the several views of the drawings similar reference characters are employed to denote the same or similar parts.

As was noted above, this invention pertains generally to a spring type of latch for yieldingly retaining in closed position a lid or cover for a container and is illustrated in the drawings and will be described in connection with a minnow bucket, but it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to minnow buckets except as so done in the claims.

Specifically, the minnow bucket illustrated in the drawings comprises a cylindrical body portion is to which is attached a bottom II in any suitable or desirable manner, preferably in the manner that the top 52 is attached as will presently be described. The minnow bucket, per se, is generally associated with an outer container in which water or the like is present and enters the minnow bucket through holes or apertures i3, through the bucket body iii, near or at the bottom i l thereof.

As illustrated in Fig. 3, the top 52 is connected with the upper end of the bucket body it! by means of, what is known in the trade as, a double seam which consists in forming the perimeter of the cover i2 substantially as a hook M to be inter-engaged with a complementary hook [5 at the upper end of the bucket body l6. In forming a water-proof joint there is provided a gasket between the inter-engaged hook portions I l and It, the said gasket not being shown in the drawings. After the said hook portions it and is are inter-engaged they are subjected to pressure for securing the parts to one another. As shown in the drawing, the top i2 is illustrated as depressed thereby providing on the said top i2 an upstanding peripheral flange l6 which, in eiTect, provides a dish or tray at the to of the minnow bucket, which may be used to retain ice to supply cooling water to the minnow bucket and minnows therein during transportation in hot weather or for other reasons.

The top I2 is provided centrally with a large opening ii and has the free edge of the opening turned on itself as at i 8 to thereby avoid a sharp edge to said opening and at the same time provide a rim for cooperation with a closing lid or cover. It should be understood that this particular formation of turning the flange IS on itself is a matter of choice as this edge may be 3 beaded or have the flange turned into the bucket and beneath the top I2.

The opening H is adapted to be closed by a lid or cover l 9 of an area somewhat greater than the area of the opening with the perimeter of the lid or cover downwardly turned as at 29 to engage the opening rim or flange l8. Centrally of the lid or cover is it may be formed with depressions to provide angularly related reinforcing ribs 2! conveniently employed to have formed therethrough apertures 22 for supplying air to the interior of the container and, when the bucket top 12 is used as an ice tray, to permit the melted ice or water to be discharged into the bucket.

Any suitable or desirable means may be employed for hingedly connecting the lid or cover 19 to the bucket top l2, that shown in the drawing comprising a hinge lug 23 soldered, welded or otherwise secured -to the bucket top l2 and having a hinge eye 2d at its inner end. It will be understood that the hinge eye 24 may be struck from the bucket top l2 as is frequently the practice. Aligned with the hinged lug eye 24 are hinge eyes 25 and 25 at the outer ends of lugs 27 and 28 integral with and outwardly projecting from the lid or cover is at one point thereof. Extending through the aligned hinge eyes 24, 25, and 26 is a hinge pin 21 and by reference to Figs. 2 and 3, it will be readily undertsood that the said lid or cover 29 may be actuated in a counter-clockwise direction about the hinge pin 27'.

The said lid or cover IQ is retained in its closed position by a yieldable or spring latch indicated in its entirety by the reference character 28' illustrated in vertical section in Figs. 3 and 4 and in perspective in Fig. 5.

The latch 28' is made of a length of tempered spring material and comprises a base portion 29 through which is formed an aperture 30. Upstanding at the inner end of the base portion 28 is a portion 3! hereinafter referred to as a post. The upper end of the post at is turned on itself as at 32 for the purpose of providing a comfortable grip and for the purpose of reinforcing the post 3| transversely thereof. At the other end of the base 29 is an outwardly, downwardly, inclining portion or finger 33 joined through a rounded fillet 3 with a spring finger 35 which outwardly, upwardly, inclines substantially oppcsite to the inclination of the finger 33. The spring finger 35 terminates in the latching nose 36 having thereafter an upwardly, inwardly, inclining latching cam 3'! from which rises the actuating arm 38. The actuating arm 38 and the post 3! are normally parallel to one another as shown in Fig. 3 with the arm 38 having its upper end turned on itself as at 39 to be in opposition to the post turned portion 32.

In practice the latch 28' is mounted on the lid or cover l9 as illustrated in Fig. 3 by passing the post 3! and arm 38, respectively, through an aperture 4s and at in the cover or lid at points diametrically across from the bucket top hinge lug 23 and with the base 29 of the latch in face contact with the under surface of the cover or lid 19 immediately outwardly of the aperture 40. The said lid or cover i9 is provided with an aperture 42 to be aligned with the aperture 30 in the latch base 29 and extending through said aligned apertures 42 and 30 is a rivet 43 which has its opposite ends upset, as rivet heads, for securing the latch 28 in position.

In order to transport the bucket use is made of a bail handle M which has its opposite ends pivotly disposed in suitable eyes 45 and 46 whereby said bail handle 44 may be actuated from the carrying position of Fig. l to its normal position in Fig. 2.

The operation of the spring latch of the present invention is believed obvious from the disclosure in Figs. 3 and 4 which, however, is briefly as follows:

With the parts in their normal positions as illustrated in Fig. 3 and the user desiring to gain access to the interior of the minnow bucket, he would grasp the portions 32, of the past 3 l, and 39, of the arm 33, between his thumb and a finger of either hand and exert a slight pressure for thereby inwardly actuating the arm 38, latching cam 31, latching nose 36, and spring finger 35 on the fillet 35 toward the post 3 I. In other words, this would cause the spring latch 28 to be deformed from its normal position in Fig. 3 to the position in Fig. 4 and thereby bring the latching nose 36 within the bucket top opening I l or inwardly of the flange 13. The user would then immediately exert an upward lifting force on the latch for thereby actuating the cover or lid 19 about the hinge pin 27. It will be noted that this operation is readily performed without the necessity of holding the bucket, or any part thereof, as no lateral force of any nature is being exerted on the bucket or its lid or cover i9 thereby tending to in any wise laterally displace the bucket as a whole and since in actuating the lid or cover about the hinge pin 27 no lateral force is necessary but merely an upward or lifting force the said cover or lid 59 may be opened without holding the bucket or any part thereof.

In order to relatch the lid or cover [9 it is only necessary to allow the said lid or cover to close itself by its own weight since at this time the latch 28 will be in the normal position illustrated in Fig. 3 causing the inner edge of the opening E7, or the flange M3, to engage with the upwardly, outwardly, inclined spring finger 35 which will act as a cam in forcing the latching nose 35 to the position of Fig. 4 until said latching nose is below the flange l8, or opening edge, whereupon the inherent spring in the latch will cause the locking cam 3i to engage with the lower edge of the opening l? and return the latch to its normal position from Fig. 4 to Fig. 3 and thereby again yieldingly close and latch the lid or cover is in closed position.

In view of the foregoing, it is believed now evident that there has been provided a spring latch for a hinged lid or cover for a container which will accomplish the objects initially set forth above.

What is claimed is:

1. A latch of the class described formed from a single piece of spring material comprising a base portion, a post at one end of the base portion and upstanding substantially normal to the base portion, a spring arm at the other end of the base portion and projecting below the base por tion, a latching nose carried by the spring arm and yieldingly retained in normal latching position by said spring arm, and means manually operable toward said post upon engagement of the means and post for releasing the latching nose.

2. A latch of the class described formed from a single piece of spring material comprising a base portion, a post at one end of the base portion and upstanding substantially normal to the base portion, a spring arm at the other end of the base portion and projecting below the base portion, a latching nose carried by the spring arm and yieldingly retained in normal latching position by said spring arm, and means manually operable toward said post upon engagement of the means and post for releasing the latching nose, including a finger piece upstanding with respect to the base portion with said post and finger piece spaced from one another for simultaneous engagement by the fingers of one hand for actuating the said finger piece toward the said post.

3. A latch of the class described formed from a single piece of spring material comprising a base portion, a post at one end of the base portion and upstanding substantially normal to the base portion, a spring arm at the other end of the base portion and projecting below the base portion, a latching nose carried by the spring arm and yieldingly retained in normal latching position by said spring arm, means manually operable toward said post upon engagement of the means and post for releasing the latching nose, including a finger piece upstanding with respect to the base portion with said post and finger piece spaced from one another for simultaneous engagement by the fingers of one hand for actuating the said finger piece toward the said post, and cam means between said latching nose and spring arm and between said latching nose and finger piece for respectively retracting the latching nose and for actuating same to a fully latched position.

4. In a device of the class described the combination with a container top having an opening therethrough and a cover hingedly carried by said container top for movement toward and from the container top, said cover being of an area somewhat greater than the area of said opening whereby the cover overlaps the opening edge, of a one piece latch including a base secured to the undersurface of the cover, a spring finger at one end of and extending downwardly from the base, a latching nose at the end of the spring finger underlying the top opening edge when the cover is closed, a post from the other end of the base projecting through the cover to a point thereabove, and manually actuable means projecting from the latch nose through the cover to a point thereabove, said manually actuable means and post being positioned with respect to one another for simultaneous engagement and actuation toward one another by the fingers of one hand for retracting the latching nose from its latching position and act as means for the actuation of the cover about its hinge.

5. In a device of the class described the combination with a container top having an opening therethrough and a cover hingedly carried by said container top for movement toward and from the container top, said cover being of an area somewhat greater than the area of said opening whereby the cover overlaps the opening edge, of a one piece latch including a base secured to the undersurface of the cover, a

spring finger at one end of and extending downwardly from the base, a latching nose at the end of the spring finger underlying the top opening edge when the cover is closed, a post from the other end of the base projecting through the cover to a point thereabove, and manually actuable means projecting from the latch nose through the cover to a point thereabove, said manually actuable means and post being positioned with respect to one another for simultaneous engagement and actuation toward one another by the fingers of one hand for retracting the latching nose from its latching position and act as means for the actuation of the cover about its hinge, said nose retracting means including a finger piece.

6. In a device of the class described the combination with a container top having an opening therethrough and a cover hingedly carried by said container top for movement toward and from the container top, said cover being of an area somewhat greater than the area of said opening whereby the cover overlaps the open ing edge, of a one piece latch including a base secured to the undersurface of the cover, a spring finger at one end of and extending downwardly from the base, a latching nose at the end of the spring finger underlying the top opening edge when the cover is closed, a post from the other end of the base projecting through the cover to a point thereabove, and manually actuable means projecting from the latch nose through the cover to a point thereabove, said manually actuable means and post being positioned with respect to one another for simultaneous engagement and actuation toward one another by the fingers of one hand for retracting the latching nose from its latching position and act as means for the actuation of the cover about its hinge, said nose retracting means including a finger piece, said spring finger in-- clining in a direction away from the latching nose to act as a cam upon engagement with the top opening edge during the closing of the cover, and cam means between the latching nose and finger piece for engagement with the edge of the top opening for efiecting the final closing of the cover upon actuation of the locking nose to its locking position by the spring finger.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 251,645 Scherer Dec. 27, 1881 260,693 Lee July 4, 1882 898,279 Smith Sept. 8, 1908 922,852 Cannan May 25, 1909 934,792 Card Sept. 21, 1909 1,243,239 Albrechtsen Oct. 16, 1917 1,480,956 Robinson Jan. 15, 1924 2,021,683 Clark Nov. 19, 1935 2,289,214 Schultz July 7, 1942 2,353,796 Tinnerman July 18, 1944 

